


Slaying the Demon

by MorrigansMuse



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dreams and Nightmares, post season two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-18 23:32:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9407690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorrigansMuse/pseuds/MorrigansMuse
Summary: Clarke is tired of suffering through nightmares of how she became what the grounders call The Commander of Death  and has narrowed it down to one solution.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is very short, but it is just something that popped into my head. I started writing it several months back and got stuck. For some reason, when I looked it over this evening it clicked. So, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this, or just leave it as a one-shot. I guess we'll see what happens. Anyway...I haven't written anything for many years, but, if anyone reads it and wants to give me their opinion, please give me a holler. I'd love to hear your thoughts. This is not beta'd so any mistakes are mine and mine alone. And of course, usual disclaimers do apply. I do not own any part of the 100. All rights go to Kass Morgan as the original author of the book series, and of course CW for tv rights.

_I bear it so they don't have to..._

Gripping her dagger, she leaped from the tree, aiming for the big cat she'd spied prowling below. Her descent seemed to happen in slow motion; down and down and down she fell until.... she hit the ground running. The cat was gone and she was no longer the hunter, but the prey racing for her life from the reapers that were right at her heels.  
Sweat ran down her spine and her breaths came heavy as she pushed herself to the limit, legs pumping as fast as they could go

_Just a little bit further...I'm almost there..._

A sickly sweet smell with a bitter tang entered her nostrils and in her haste, she nearly ran past the door on the forest floor. She skidded to a clumsy stop, grabbing the ring to pull it open. Quickly glancing back the way she had come, she had just enough time to see the acid fog envelop her pursuers before she dropped inside the bunker and let the door slam shut behind her.

The bunker glowed with candlelight. No...it wasn’t the bunker and the flames weren't from candles but torches. The dagger was back in her hand now and she stood in front of Finn who was tied to the post awaiting death at the hands of the grounders. Death by a thousand cuts. She couldn't let him suffer like that. She just couldn't. 

_“It's going to be okay,”_ she told him as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling Finn close to her in a familiar, comforting embrace. Eyes closing he leaned close to her ear and whispered, _“Thank you, Princess,”_ as Clarke’s tears rolled down her face mimicking the blood which trickled across her knuckles and flowed down her arm.

_“Take care of them for me.”_

Her eyes were still wet and her voice was hoarse. She was so tired. Oh, so very tired.

The flames had died away and the sun was shining. She was back at camp and her friends and family were greeting each other with shouts of joy and relief, but Clarke felt hollow and empty. She was still holding on, but new arms came around her, holding her tightly. These arms were trying to ground her—trying to offer her absolution—she didn’t deserve forgiveness for what she had done. 

 

_“What we did,” he told her, “I was there too…If you need forgiveness, I’ll give you that. I forgive you. You don’t have to carry this alone.”_

Clarke shook her head, sadly. It didn’t work that way. Going into that camp would do nothing but remind her of what she had chosen to do to get them there. These people didn’t need her. He didn’t need her. She would only bring death. Bellamy’s strong arms couldn’t hold her cracked soul together and if she stayed, she would poison what was good in him too. She was a monster. 

She backed away and the forest seemed to rush up to meet her, turning black and cold, preparing to swallow her whole, as she bid him farewell.

_“I bear it, so they don’t have to…”_

Clarke’s eyes snapped open. Her dream still clinging to her, she allowed herself a moment to take in her surroundings, listening for the sound that had awakened her.

She had these dreams every night. Dreams of how she had changed since landing here on the earth. She had begun this adventure with such confidence and hope. She had been so naïve’. There had been one thing in common with the destruction of Clarke Griffin. One thing that helped create what the grounders called the Wanheda.

Lexa.

It was Lexa who forced her into a position to have to kill Fin, Lexa who convinced her not to warn her people about the bombing of Ton-DC, convincing Clarke that it was for the better good, and finally Lexa who had tricked her into believing that they had an alliance to save their people—all of their people—before betraying her by making a deal with the mountain men to release only the grounders, leaving Clarke’s people to suffer and die inside the mountain. It was Lexa, who forced her into a position to make the choices she had made. 

A moment passed, then another before she heard it. A snuffling sound followed by the crisp snapping of twigs as something very large began to lumber through the trees, heading her way.

Clarke stayed low in the grass, and peered in the direction of the sound, Finally spotting what she had been expecting. Pauna, the giant Gorilla was foraging about a hundred yards away, near the rocky side of the mountain.  
Quietly, She pulled on her pack, and drew her blade turning to the figure which lay gagged and bound on the forest floor beside her. 

The Commander glared through her dark painted eyes as she struggled against her bindings, and Clarke sighed a little wistfully as she gently stroked the auburn sweat soaked hair away from Lexa’s face.

“I’m sorry I had to trick you into meeting me here, alone,” Clarke whispered. “I just couldn’t take any chances on anyone finding out and taking it out on my people,” she explained calmly. “I’m sure you understand.”

Lexa snarled from behind the gag and if looks could kill, Clarke was sure she would be history. Still, she smiled and nodded as though they were having a pleasant conversation before she gazed back over the tall grass to see that the mutant had come close enough and it was time to go. 

“Okay, okay, Clarke murmured to her. I agree. This has gone on long enough." She leaned down and ever so gently kissed Lexa on her brow before drawing back just enough to look into her eyes. 

“Yu gonplei ste odon.” Clarke whispered, as she pulled the gag from the Commander’s mouth and drew her dagger down the side of Lexa’s shocked face. 

She leapt up onto the Commander’s horse, making sure to draw the attention of the mutant ape, which had stood up, sniffing the air in search of where the blood smell was coming from. At the sight of her, Pauna roared ferociously and charged straight for her. 

She quickly turned the horses head and kicked her into a gallop, racing away through the trees as fast as the mare could carry her as the sounds of Lexa’s agonized screams filled the night air. 

She recalled Charlotte and the story that Bellamy had confessed to telling her about slaying the demons so they couldn’t haunt her anymore. 

Clarke had just slayed her demon. 

She was going home.


End file.
